Scottish fishing ports hammered by storm

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ABERDEEN, Scotland, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Fishing towns on the east coast of Scotland worked to clean up the damage Monday from a devastating weekend storm.

Two fish-processing plants in Peterhead, one of the most eastern towns in Scotland, were destroyed Saturday, The Scotsman reported. Lossiemouth, about 40 miles to the west on the Moray Firth, lost a 50-foot section of seawall in its harbor.

Gale-force winds were accompanied by heavy surf.

Richard Lochhead, the Scottish rural affairs secretary, visited Lossiemouth, Peterhead and the port of Fraserburgh in between them. He promised "concerted action" to carry out and pay for reconstruction.

"Storms of this power and magnitude are a frightening experience for those closest to the destruction and there is a great deal of relief that there has not been significant injury or worse in our local communities," he said. The communities and emergency workers deserve a great deal of credit for their response in a time of adversity."

In Stonehaven, about 15 miles south of Aberdeen, 25 people who were forced to evacuate sheltered housing during the storm were still in a shelter or staying with relatives on Monday. About 40 evacuees in Peterhead were back home.